Doorbell Troubleshooting [transformer]

i may have made a mistake, buying unused but open parts on Ebay

replaced the doorbell chime box, and the outdoor push button, and now i get sporadic results - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't work, and sometime it seems to work halfway

well, my question is simply - could it be the Transformer? Or, does a Transformer either work all the time [perfectly], or never?

thanks marc

Reply to
21blackswan
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whats the voltage marked on the chime? and what is the output voltage of he transformer?

you may have a transformer thats output voltage is a bit low

Reply to
bob haller

Chances are, you've got a bad button -- or bad wiring job. (faulty connection).

Is this a genuine *chime* -- i.e., a solenoid that strikes a sounding bar? If so, remove the cover and observe the "plunger" while pressing the button (or, have a helper assist). Is it moving ALWAYS? Or, getting partially hung up? Or, only moving *sometimes* (requiring you to jiggle the button while pressing it)

Reply to
Don Y

Not likely to be an intermittent transformer.

Have someone press the button while you look at the chime.

If it moves a bit but does not chime, then it's probably bad... but it would not be a bad idea to actually measure the voltage on the output side of the transformer. I've seen some that are dual voltage 10v /16v ac and it's possible you have a 24v chime.(or at any rate a chime connected to too low of a voltage)

Reply to
philo

thanks

i'll have to check the voltages, on both the trans & chime box.

house is 7 years old or so, and the old [one sound] doorbell was way to low to hear upstairs. I wonder if that tells anything - the low volume...

So, i've put in a newer fancy [10 sound option] chime box [IQ America] and a new outdoor push button, with sporadic results

marc

Reply to
21blackswan

you need to replace the transformer, probably with a 24 volt one

Reply to
bob haller

If it's an electronic unit it's not a case of a "hung" solenoid but still I'd make sure the transformer is providing the correct voltage.

Just checked my transformer...it was installed in 1932 and still works fine.

Reply to
philo

One < fairly easy ? > trouble-shoot for this sort of thing - temporarily " install " your old chime - with patch cords ? - see if it works OK with the new pushbutton. and/or temporarily install your old pushbutton - with your new chime ..

.. a couple RAGs < random-ass-guesses > closely examine - look & feel & wiggle the wires at the pushbutton and at the chime for looseness / damage / nicks / etc Check that the pushbutton housing wasn't deformed slightly when screwing it in .. they are often quite flimsy .. Good luck - let us know what you find. John T.

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Reply to
hubops

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:> thanks

I guess original one was El Cheapo one. Now your fancier one which probably needs more juice. Our house has rotary gong with 5 tube sound tubes. Can have 3 buttons front, rear and side door. Front door plays Westminster chime. I don't like digital synthesizer type. Un-natural sound to my ears. WAs old button lighted one? New one too?

Reply to
Tony Hwang

I'd suspect a bad button. Remove it from the wall, take off the wires and touch them together. If the bell rings, you know the button is bad. You can safely do this without getting shocked. It's low voltage!

If this dont work, then you know the button is probably good and either the bell or the wiring is bad. Transformers seldom go bad on doorbells. If they do burn out, they wont work at all.

Of course be sure the voltage is correct on both the bell and the transfornmer.

Reply to
Jerry.Tan

This is USUALLY the case, but I have had small transformers like bell and thermostat transformers that were, for lack of a better term, FLAKEY. Work fine cold, and cut out when hot, or drop output voltage, due to shorted secondaries (a few turns shorted - only when hot, 0r just plain intermittent.

Not common - not the first thing I'd check, but I would not discount it completely.

Reply to
clare

Some transformer for heating are rated in volts, and also VA, which is volts times amps. Possible the transformer isn't able to handle the current draw.

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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